Early Introduction of Cooked Egg May Help Prevent Food Allergy in High-Risk Infants

Nearly 150 Japanese infants aged 4 to 5 months with atopic dermatitis who had not yet consumed hen's eggs were randomized to ingest a heated egg powder or placebo powder from 6 to 12 months of age (50 mg/day for 3 months, followed by 250 mg/day for 3 months).

The primary outcome — hen's egg allergy identified by food challenge at age 12 months — occurred in 8% of the egg group versus 38% of the placebo group. There were no allergic reactions to the egg powder. The researchers calculated that 3.4 infants would need to be treated to prevent 1 case of egg allergy.